Just me!

Still working on sorting out our internet data. For the most part we are doing very well.  I still have 50% left lf my monthly plan and two weeks to go. I will admit to using our iPhones as a hotspot from time to time which helps. Our monthly bill for our Telcel unlimited phone calls and 3.5 GB’s of data comes to 200 MXN / $14.50 CAD per month each. We have never ever used that monthly 3.56 GB’s so I thought why not? Well I found out why not! Because suddenly when you need your phone to make a call you have no data to look up the phone number or the direction you want to go or to call Didi 😥

Silly me!  Very long story short I met a fellow Canadian from Vernon online and she lives close to us here in Cerritos. She had contacted me about information I had posted about making a move from Intercam to Scotiabank. I gave her some suggestions. About ten days ago she invited me to join her to a Friday evening “Solo Damas Dinner Group” that she had found online. She picked me up and off we went. Only to find that we were at the wrong restaurant. We were supposed to be at the one in Centro not the Marina. That is how I discovered that my phone was useless. Fortunately there was an Oxxo next door and I soon got that sorted out. I am now very careful about using my iPhone as a hotspot. However I also discovered that evening that my phone uses power very quickly if I am using Didi ( same as Uber but much cheaper ). I assume that that is because it is tracking our route in real times as we drive.

We arrived 45 minutes late and managed to meet a few people seated near us and it was enjoyable enough but a very long table of people is not a favorite thing. But I am game to try it once more time, always on a Friday.

Because of Colin’s stroke we had to delay our appointment with the dermatologist. She was very thorough and seemed to know her thing. She is from Uruguay  – I think or maybe Honduras. Colin did not start his treatment until early July and all I can say is that it was extremely painful but necessary.  I had the usual things burnt off with liquid nitrogen and then started a new creme she suggested…not doing it now…face is too sensitive. We see her on Wednesday re follow up.

In a past post I think that I had mentioned that I had my usual vein treatment for the first time here in Mazatlan mid April.  The doctor was very competent and a vascular surgeon. However I had a reaction to the different medication that was injected onto my veins and it was not pleasant. Colin has his stroke two weeks later and I never went back until two weeks ago. My veins were not healing and actually my legs looked worse than the day I had my treatment with doctor Edna.  She was concerned and the ultrasound showed that my veins are three times larger than they should be which explains all the problems with my legs. Of course this also affects the blood returning to my heart. So I am now on a powerful medication that is not sold in either the USA nor Canada. I read all the pros and cons and if it works, wonderful and if if doesn’t – well lets talk about that in three weeks after I see the doctor again. Meanwhile I have to elevate my legs at 45 degrees a few times per day for so long and also need to wear compression stockings. You can imagine how much hotter I feel now than before the stockings and even inside in the air conditioning. Oh and I am to do some walking and outdoor exercises, impossible. Sometimes after just a few hours I have to rip them off to give my legs a break. The compression is so strong and unbearable at times.

Silly me! I truly thought that we would be able to walk the short distance to the beach but the heat is just overwhelming. Each time I open the RV door to let the girls out or back in, I am hit by a blast of furnace like air.  Even they can’t last too long out there. However we think that we were doing very well coping with it all. I must say that living in air conditioning 24/7 is not something we want to do but have no choice in the matter. At the dinner I went to last Friday I was informed that the worst was yet to come. That this was still not so bad at all, one could still get out and walk at 6AM but soon it would be unbearable. Yeah, something to look forward to. Not!

I think about the Isla daily and we talk about living there. We are so ready to go back. For certain we are going back but to where as we need to have proper electricity. And what about in a year or two, what then?  Will we rent or buy a place in Mazatlan? Much as we love the Isla, our future will be in the city of Mazatlan. It has all we need and going back and forth to the Isla will become more difficult as we age. Plus at this point we honestly don’t know if Colin can actually manage to get on and off the lancha to cross the shipping channel. Certainly grocery shopping will be easier. I am amazed at the amount of activities that continue on a daily basis here in Mazatlan during the heat of the summer. This is just a small sampling of last Thursday and not everything is listed – just what this particular person posts.

I miss my flowers and plants but am happy to continue to enjoy what is here at Las Jaibas. I have seen two different large iguanas, the prehistoric monster looking ones. Lots of pretty butterflies and smaller colorful birds. The girls have switched from chasing cats to birds. So happy to see that for the most part they are content.

One special thing that happened is that I have discovered Sunshine Catering. At the moment she only cooks and does deliveries on Saturdays but during the busy season it is twice per week.  We have had three wonderful and very healthy dinners not to mention reasonably priced meals created by Koren. So nice to have that option right now. I have asked her to give me price for the two items that we always fill our freezer with when we leave Canada, tuna pot pies and spanakopita pies.

Erik created a special iron stand of sorts to use to lift the heavy awning to get the motor out. The new motor has been ordered and is being built. By the end of August we should be ready to deal with the extreme heat.

Years after everyone else we have finally started to watch ” The Crown “. Colin had taped the entire series long ago so no need for internet data. We watch an hour per evening. Hope to be on the Isla before we finish. I don’t know how accurate the show is, but I am learning so many things about the monarchy and world events.  Good stuff.